Moving or buying a home

When you buy a home or move, you are given a set of keys. But those keys have been through the previous owner, their family, the estate agent, perhaps a tenant or two, the cleaner or the neighbour who watered the plants. You do not know how many copies there are.

What to do now

• Change the cylinder on the front door before you move your things in.
• Ask about all the keys: storeroom, garage, letterbox, entrance and pool, and about the garage remote.
• Check the secondary doors: terrace, patio, the kitchen door in bungalows.
• Check the ground floor shutters, especially if the property has been empty.

What not to do

• Do not rely on «the previous owner gave us all the keys».
• Do not wait for something to happen before changing the cylinder.
• Do not leave the new keys hidden in the property during the move.

How we sort it out

We work 24 hours a day, every day, in Torrevieja and the Vega Baja. With a photo of the door on WhatsApp we know which cylinder to bring and give you a fixed quote.

We change the cylinder and check the door: that it closes properly, that the lock is in good condition, whether it has an escutcheon, how the hinges are. If you feel you need more, we explain it with no obligation. We hand you all the new keys.

You will find the details under lock cylinder replacement. If you would like a full security check of your new home, see security upgrades.

If you are moving into a rental

If you are moving in as a tenant, ask the landlord to change the cylinder before you move in, or ask whether you can do it yourself. Normally the landlord hands you all the new keys and keeps a copy if you both agree.

One key for everything

Moving is a good time to have the front door, the patio door and the storeroom opened with the same key. We do this by keying the cylinders alike; we explain it under keyed-alike cylinders.

Homes that have been empty for a while

In Torrevieja and on the Vega Baja coast many homes that are bought have been shut up for months or years, or come from an auction or an inheritance. In those cases, as well as the cylinder, it is worth checking for locks seized up by the salty air, shutters that will not come down and doors that have dropped.

If you are buying from a distance or do not speak Spanish, message us on WhatsApp in your own language and we will coordinate with your estate agent or your representative.

Pay by card, Bizum or cash.